{"id":15889,"date":"2020-01-17T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-17T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.afterhoursagency.com\/wgc\/?p=15889"},"modified":"2021-12-06T09:09:34","modified_gmt":"2021-12-06T17:09:34","slug":"homemade-granola-bars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.afterhoursagency.com\/wgc\/homemade-granola-bars\/","title":{"rendered":"Homemade Granola Bars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

These homemade Granola Bars are perfectly chewy and delicious and so good you’ll never buy store bought granola bars ever again! <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We’ve been doing a TON of meal prep recently and homemade granola bars are on the weekly to-do list! Thomas and I are both mega snack fans and neither of us do well when our blood sugar gets low. That means it’s VERY important that we have some healthy snacks on hand at all times in case things get bleak! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These homemade Granola Bars are the perfect mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. They are also great for a quick breakfast on the go, or to pack in school or work lunches! All the ingredients are super clean so you know these are going to taste great! And there’s room for jazzing these up on your own… here’s the deal! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Homemade Granola Bar Ingredients: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    • Old Fashion Oats<\/strong> – grab your favorite brand and toast the oats! This is the base of the entire recipe! <\/li>
    • Almonds<\/strong> – gotta get those healthy fats. You could also sub another one of your favorite nuts if you prefer. Walnuts, pecans, cashews… you name it.<\/li>
    • Honey<\/strong> – this helps everything stick together! Agave nectar will also work! <\/li>
    • Butter<\/strong> – I use an unsalted butter because I love the depth of flavor it provides. If you want something other than butter, coconut oil is a great substitute <\/li>
    • Brown Sugar<\/strong> – more flavorful that white sugar!! <\/li>
    • Vanilla<\/strong> – you could also use chocolate extract if you prefer. Or leave it out if you don’t have any on hand.<\/li>
    • Chia Seeds<\/strong> – I love adding a little extra oomph into this recipe. If you want to omit the chia, that’s no problem. Or they can also be swapped out for flax or hemp hearts. <\/li>
    • Salt<\/strong> – don’t skimp on it! It elevates all the flavor.<\/li>
    • Dried Fruit<\/strong> – you can use any dried fruit in this recipe! Just make sure you chop it into small pieces if it’s something bigger than a dried cranberry.<\/li>
    • Chocolate Chips<\/strong> – what is a granola bar without some chocolate?!?! <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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        Now that we’ve got the ingredients out of the way – let’s talk about the process! These are pretty straight forward however there are some key tips to making these extra delish and reminiscint of those store bought bars we all grew up with! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Tips and Tricks for Homemade Granola Bars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Toast the Oats<\/strong> – <\/strong>this is super important to really get all the flavor from the oats! You want them to just get a little toasty in the oven before mixing in all the other ingredients <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Really press the mixture down in the pan.<\/strong>  Use a spatula or your clean hands and press the granola bar mixture down once you’ve transferred it into the pan. And feel free to put some weight behind it. That will help ensure the bars don’t fall apart when you’re slicing and serving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Don’t skimp on the chill time.<\/strong> You know how I always insist we chill blondies and brownies before slicing and serving… same thing goes for granola bars. This step (while tedious) just helps everything firm up and cutting will be cleaner and easier. Once they are chilled and sliced, you can let them come to room temperature before serving so they are chewier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Storing the bars<\/strong>. I store the granola bars in the fridge at all times (or the freezer if it’s going to take you a while to get through them! Just take them out of the fridge for at least an hour before serving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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          And if you want a step by step video to make life even easier… here you go!<\/h3>\n\n\n